Conversations surrounding mental health (MH) have increased dramatically in recent years, with many institutions promoting wellness and expanding volumes of resources. However, the presence of services alone does not guarantee accessibility, particularly for immigrants, refugees, and socioculturally diverse communities, who often face barriers due to language, financial constraints, and increasing[Read More…]
Tag: mental health
‘Not enough:’ How racial invalidation impacts the mental health of multiracial individuals
Despite facing unique forms of discrimination, multiracial people remain largely overlooked in research on the intersection of racism and mental health. Multiracial people not only experience racism from strangers, but also from within their own families—a phenomenon known as intrafamilial racism. This, in turn, is a risk factor for poorer[Read More…]
Nunavik’s disproportionately high suicide rate reveals colonialism’s continued impact on mental health
Content warning: Mentions of suicide Feb. 2 to Feb. 8 marked Quebec’s Suicide Prevention Week. The province entered the awareness week with a statistic that sounds like a clear public health win: The suicide rate has dropped to 11.9 per 100,000 people, making it the lowest observed since 1981. However,[Read More…]
“Blue Monday” is nothing more than an exercise in consumption
Every year, the third Monday in January is supposed to be the ‘saddest day of the year.’ With the doldrums of winter in full swing, and no holidays in sight, Blue Monday can be a day of deep isolation—at least, that is what we are told. But the Blue Monday[Read More…]
Professor Myrna Lashley sheds light on the importance of studying Black Canadian youth’s mental health
Black Canadians, on average, experience disproportionately poor health outcomes throughout their lives. While genetics may contribute to many chronic illnesses and mental health challenges, social and environmental determinants such as limited access to health care and anti-Black racism drive much of this disparity. This discrepancy is compounded by the legacy[Read More…]
The link between mental health and breathlessness
Have you ever trudged through the snow up rue University, about to write a final exam that will make or break your grade? By the time you reach the top of that hill, you might be feeling more out of breath than usual. A recent study involving Dennis Jensen, a[Read More…]
Tales from the brink of sanity
December 3 I arrive at the Law Library at 11:00 a.m. after indulging in the snooze button a mere 4 times. After realizing that from now until doomsday (my last exam on Dec. 19), this library is exclusively open to law students, I turn around and drag myself to Schulich.[Read More…]
New Year, same (institutional) burnout
January, colloquially known as the month of new beginnings. Planners for the calendar year fill the bookshelves, wellness advice on how to ‘improve’ flood TikTok and Instagram For-You-Pages, and even McGill sends out communications encouraging students to return to campus with better habits and a renewed zest for academia and[Read More…]
Do good, feel good: Volunteering and its potential benefits to youth mental health
What if youth engagement in civic activities—volunteering, activism, and advocacy—did more than help communities? What if it also improved the mental health of volunteers? While traditional approaches to mental health include psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, and pharmacological treatments, some McGill researchers are exploring how civic involvement can contribute to positive[Read More…]
How aspects of body image may predict self-injury in university students
Content warning: Self-injury Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) remains an urgent and often overlooked mental health concern, and one that demands greater attention from universities worldwide. As many as 44 per cent of those who engage in NSSI in adolescence continue to do so when they start university, and eight per cent[Read More…]
